In my last post on Mukesh and his ‘dil’ songs, there was a song, Ae jaan-e-jigar dil mein samane aa ja. Urdu poetry gives the same status to jigar as to dil as a metaphor for something very vital and very dear. There are also other examples of ‘dil’ and ‘jigar’ being used together and interchangeably, such as Tumse achha kaun hai, dil-o-jigar lo jaan lo or a later one Dard-e-dil dard-e-jigar dil mein jagaya aapne. If long back Rafi sang Ek dil ke tukde hazar hue koi yahan gira koi wahan gira, a maverick politician, Mahamaya Prasad Singh came as tsunami in the mid-60’s in Bihar, riding the wave of student unrest and describing them as his Jigar ke tukde. His opening words in his public meetings, Mere jigar ke tukde, generated a hysteria Indian electoral politics had not seen before. That his short-lived rein unleashed student lawlessness and collapse of Bihar’s education system is another story. (An idea for Mr. Ashok Vaishnav’s blog – ‘Role of emotive slogans in politics: Quit India, Jigar Ke Tukde, Gharibi Hatao, Bhrashtachar Mitao, Down with Zionists’?)
Coming back to Jigar and Dil, I remember Subodh Agrawal once wondered in one of his comments how a part of anatomy like liver can have poetic uses. Well, if you think of it, Wikipedia defines the heart as a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system (including all vertebrates), which pumps blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. Does not sound too romantic to me. Yet heart has universal association with emotions and feelings. Then why not liver (jigar)? It is for linguists to research why only Urdu has taken to jigar with so much passion.
One of the most famous Urdu poets of the twentieth century was Jigar Moradabadi (real name Ali Sikandar). I do not recall anyone with Dil name of the same stature. With jigar having such an important place in Urdu poetry, why is it that compiling a list of jigar songs is somewhat difficult whereas you can reel off dozens of dil songs of all the great singers? I guess it has to do with the structure of ghazal. With its rigid rules for meter, radeef and kaafiya, it is easier for the two-syllable dil to fit in any combination than for the three-syllable jigar. This made my task of doing this post more challenging. Yet when I finally completed my selection it was immensely satisfying, because the jigar songs are no less appealing than dil songs.
Here are some of my favourite jigar songs.
1. Tune haye mere zakhm-e-jigar ko chhoo liya by Lata Mangeshkar from Nagina (1951), lyrics Shailendra, music Shankar Jaikishan
Nagina was one of Nutan’s earliest films. There is an interesting trivia about this film. Given Adult certificate because of its spooky theme, its heroine Nutan, who was only 15, was not allowed by the usher to enter the hall on its premier till the film’s producer noticed her and let her in.
2. Chandni raatein by Noorjehan from Dopatta (1952), lyrics Mushir Kazmi, music Firoz Nizami
Ek tees (टीस) jigar mein uthti hai ek dard sa dil mein hota hai recites Malika-e-tarannum, before she reaches the refrain Chandni raatein. Jigar and dil again used synonymously. Firoz Nizami was the composer who composed for her last film in India, Jugnu (1947), with everlasting songs Yahan badla wafa ka bewafai ke siwa kya hai and Humein to kaatni hai sham-e-gham mein zindagi apni. He was among those who migrated to Pakistan. Dopatta was a major landmark in her career in Pakistan period, and Chandni raatein is one of her most famous songs.
3. Jaane na nazar pahchane jigar by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar from Aah (1953), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, music Shankar Jaikishan
Aah also had another Mukesh-Lata Mangeshkar duet, Aa ja re ab mera dil pukara? An example of ‘dil’ and ‘jigar’ occurring in tandem.
4. Dard-e-jigar thahar zara dum to mujhe lene de by Lata Mangeshkar from Aurat (1953), lyrics Shailendra, music Shankar Jaikishan
SJ’s songs outside RK-camp had a different charm. Beautiful thought – asking the dard-e-jigar to wait for a while till the lady regains her breath.
5. Jo khushi se chot khaye wo jigar kahan se laun by Talat Mahmood from Dile-Nadan (1953), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni, music Ghulam Mohammad
Who can sing of a hurt jigar better than Talat Mahmood?
6. Ae dard-e-jigar fariyad na kar by Lata Mangeshkar from Bahu (1955), lyrics SH Bihari, music Hemant Kumar
Chhupa le dagh-e-jigar dagh-e-dil zamane se – Romance with both ‘dil’ and ‘jigar’ continues with equal fervor. So Hemant Kumar could also compose an outstanding ghazal!
7. Ashq ankhon se rawan aur jigar jalta hai by Hemant Kumar, non-film song
Now a real surprise. Hemant Kumar could not only compose a ghazal, he could also sing one! His non-film geets such as Anchal se kyun baandh liya mujh pardesi ka pyar were extremely popular. One does not associate him with Urdu ghazals. For Hemant Kumar lovers, this ghazal in Talat Mahmood style is a treat.
8. Tumse achha kaun hai, dil-o-jigar lo jaan lo by Mohammad Rafi from Janwar (1965), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, music, Shankar Jaikishan
If Shammi Kapoor sings of dil-o-jigar, you can bet he would do some crazy things, like jumping in the lake in a blanket.
9. Jigar ka dard badhta ja raha hai by Rafi and Sharda from Street Singer (1966), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, music Suraj
Picturised on Chandrashekhar and Sarita. The comment on YouTube mentions that the music director Suraj was the pseudonym for Shankar (of Shankar Jaikishan duo), who did not want to use his real name as he wanted to test the waters for Sharda. I have read somewhere that Shankar’s fascination for Sharda was one of the reasons for the break-up of S-J duo.
10. Jigar mein dard kaisa is ko to ulfat nahi kahte by Mahendra Kapoor and Kamal Barot from Apna Ghar Apni Kahani (1968), lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi, music N Dutta
This picture was earlier named as Pyas and later renamed as Apna Ghar Apni Kahani. Picturised on Sudhir, whom we know better as Jaichand (the Man Friday of Davar, Iftekhar) of Deewaar, this is an extremely sweet duet of Mahendra Kapoor-Kamal Barot. A hidden gem, it would be a treat to music lovers.
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Coming to modern times,there is a song I really liked then…
“Nazar ke samne,Jigar ke pas”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhn1CdWAA3Y
But then Jigar was used in day to day gujarati as indicating guts…”yeh koi jigarwala aadmihai,varna aisa risk kaise le sakta…!”
Ha! Nice theme!
And nothing to disagree about. 
)
My contributions to the jigar-wala theme:
1. Phir wohi dard hai, phir wohi jigar – A lovely Salilda composition from Apradhi Kaun (I can’t find a video link.)
2. Bandha parwar thaam lo jigar – From Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilq_l0qDzs8&playnext=1&list=PLDE8623D255DE21BA&feature=results_video
3. Jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ji sings Johnny Walker searching for his liver in C.I.D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAXqK3AqJP4
4. Bechain nazar betaab jigar – a plaintive Talat song from Yasmeen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOrm2s2VJls&playnext=1&list=PL23BF0E1BD434C620&feature=results_video
5. Another one from Dopatta – Jigar ki aag se is dil ko jalate dekhte jao – I cannot find a video link.
6. A newer one amidst all the oldies – Rafisaab’s comeback song – Dard-e-dil dard-e-jigar from Karz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv-29gq3AsE
Have fun.
)
ps: By the way, even in English literature, or the Western world (to be more accurate) the liver is considered the seat of passion.
@Diyesh Mehta
Jigar as a metaphor for courage and audacity is used in Hindi too. Thanks for reminding me of this connection. This makes jigar more interestin than dil, which does not see to have such dual meaning.
@Anu Warrier
I was unaware of Apradhi Kaun song and the other song from Dopatta. All other songs are outstanding and my great favourites. Bechain nazar betab jigar is a fantastic song. It has occured prominently in my post on the best male solos of 1955. I was seriously thinking of including Jane kahan mera jigar gayaji. Banda parwar thaam lo jigar is one of the greatest Rafi-OPN songs. I might have included it in place of Dil-o-jigar thaam lo, but Shammi Kapoor’s wildness and ‘dil’ and ‘jigar’ in tandem gives it something special.
Here is an audio link of Phir wohi dard phir wohi jigar by Manna Dey from Apradhi Kaun
http://gaana.com/#!/streamalbums/apradhi-kaun
Here is the video link of Jigar ki aag se is dil ko from Dopatta
Liver as seat of passion was new information for me. Thanks.
Great post, AK – and thank you, especially, for jo khushi se chot khaaye… it’s been years since I’ve heard that song! While I was reading your post, I was thinking of Jigar mein dard kaisa, and sure enough, it was there – glad you included it. I see Anu’s already suggested my other favourite jigar song, Jaane kahaan merajigar gaya ji. Here’s another one I like a lot, Jaan-e-jigar yoon hi agar, from Mujrim:
PS. Isn’t a ghazal governed by its lyrics rather than its music?
AKji ought to have thrown his bait to me a post on “Role of Emotive Slogans in politics” at the end of this post, since I may have been able to gather courage in Jigar to dare to take the bite. This can be an ideal research thesis for a student of political science.
Whilst on the subject of importance of Jigar in the romantic poetry, can it have any connection with the fact that alcohol gets absorbed in Liver [jigar] and the rather popular notion that alcohol (शराब) is associated with downing your gloom (गम)!
The quest for more jigar-songs started with one of the most “Jigar” famous song: Aey Jaane Jigar Dil Mein – Aaram – Anil Biswas – Mukesh
I also could find an interesting song from film RJA TILAK [1958], which is also said to have been made in Tamil as well.
Jane jigar dekho idhar_Asha Bhosle
Would there be a song which may have Tamil equivalent of Jigar in that Tamil version?
And we have one more Jigar song from O P Nayyar’s repertoire from Bhaagam Bhaag [1956} _ Aaye Jaane Jigar _ Asha Bhosle –
Interestingly, Jigar does not seem to have lost its charm in the hindi Films songs beyond the scope of the time period that SoY and its ardent fans follow.
There is at least one more great number with both ‘jigar’ and ‘dil’ in its mukhda itself: Rajinder Krishan’s ‘Aye jaan-e-jigar dil me.n saamne aaja’ by Mukesh on Prem Nath in Aaraam (1951) under Anil Biswas’ baton.
Its video clip can be accessed on YouTube at http://youtu.be/63w1cAWNnVk.
@dustedoff
I am happy that you were looking for Jigar mein dard kaisa, and it was here. This is not a commonly known song. Anu Warrier has mentioned some of the most well known songs. Since I was lookig for some uncommon songs, I came across this.
You are right, ghazal is governed by its lyrics. It has to follow a structure. If I take an example of Na milta gham to barbadi ke afsane kahan jate, you find alternative lines end with Veerane kahan jate, Begane kahan jate, Parwane kahan jate, Failane kahan jate. Here kahan jate is radeef, and veerane, begane etc, kafiya (rhyming the sound aane). You would find this structure in all ghazals, say Unko ye shikayat hai ki hum kuchh nahi kahte. This structure means ghazal cannot be a free verse. (That does not mean Urdu poetry cannot have free verse, but then it would be known by a more generic term like shaayari). Its music is composer’s creativity in which two factors would determine his choice of Raga or tune – the meter of the ghazal and its underlying mood. In that sense ‘dil’ with its softer sound and shorter syllable has advantage over ‘jigar’. Sorry, if I have blabbered too much.
@Ashok Vaishnav
Interesting thought this: alchohal, jigar and gham. Had never thought about it. You are right, my top jigar song would also be Ae jaan-e-jigar dil mein samane aa ja, which I have used in my last post.
I liked the Bhagam Bhag song more, with its fast and peppy tune. However, here are both the songs:
O jaan-e-jigar dekho idhar from Raj Tilak
Ae jaan-e-jigar from Bhagam Bhag
Excellent post, AK. You have once again chosen an interesting theme and dug up some hidden gems. You are right about greater use of ‘dil’ than ‘jigar’ in poetry. This page on Jigar Moradabadi lists some of his better known poems and even here ‘dil’ predominates: http://www.poemhunter.com/jigar-moradabadi/
My problem with romantic connotations of liver, as opposed to the heart, is still not fully addressed. Yes, heart is also a part of the anatomy, but the heart does get very active in romantic moments – its palpitations becoming palpable. Liver does nothing of this sort. Ashok Vaishnav has made an interesting point, so has Anu Warrier. I checked up on liver being the seat of passion and found this on a cuisine related site:
“According to the Roman poet Horace, the liver is the seat of the passions, particularly sensual love and anger. According to Suetonius, it is the center of the intelligence of the mind. Since the foie gras we eat comes from geese, it need not present us with any metaphysical problems – the stupidity of a ‘silly goose’, after all is proverbial – but it is true that consuming it provides a sensual, almost voluptuous pleasure.”
It may be interesting to note that the French word for liver ‘foie’ is pronounced exactly as the word for faith ‘foi’. Another mention of Jigar in a romantic cum culinary context is ‘Khoone dil peene ko aur lakhte jigar khane ko, yeh giza milti hai laila tere deewane ko.’ It was used in ‘Paanch rupaiya barah aana’ song of ‘Chalti ka naam gaadi’ although it is much older than that.
So even Jigar wrote more poems on ‘dil’ than ‘jigar’! Alcohol-jigar-lakhte jigar khana – now the discussion is getting quite interesting! That reminds me, bheja (brain?) also has culinary connection – Mera bheja mat kha. Bheja Fry was a good jump in imagination. I am not including more common ones like chicken breast or legs. By the way, I had a thought to include Bidi jalaile jigar se piya. This may answer some of your doubts about jigar‘s romantic connotation. If heart palpitates, fire burns in jigar, which is intense enough to be used as a cigarette lighter.
@ASHOK M VAISHNAV
i hope this jikki n raja tamizh song meets ur requirement.(comment #5 above )of course as per the subtitles ‘ jigar’ n ‘dil’ have been used synonymously.
@ Arvindji,
Wah!
This piece has moved me as much as Raj Kapoor was shaking in the clip.
You have filled the Jigar with a Joy and Dil with Ecstasy, in one stroke !
Many thanks.
Here are two more Jigar songs:
Jaane jigar thoo hea hasin – Mohammad Rafi –
http://youtu.be/AHN8EfpnhgQ
Nazar Kahe Aaja Jigar Men Sama Ja- Lata Mangeshkar – Begunah (1957) – Shankar Jaikishan
The second song from Begunah is really outstanding.
Anu Warrier has mentioned some of the most well known songs. Since I was lookig for some uncommon songs, I came across this.
*Poking tongue out at AK*
Toba, toba!
1. Pahli Kasam
I would not look for uncommon songs.
2. Doosri Kasam
I would get my list vetted by Anu Warrier before publishing.
3. Teesri Kasam
I reserve my right to modify my kasams!
*Defending before Anu Warrier*
सजन रे जूठ मत बोलो, खुदाके पास जाना हे,
न common songs न uncommon songs है, यहां तो ” दिल”,”जिगर”, “नाव”, “नदिया”, “राग”की गर्मीयोंसे चाय के एक कपको सजाना / संवारना है!
यहाँ अनु वहाँ खुदा। जायें तो जायें कहाँ। न खुदा ही मिला न विसाले सनम।
झूठ बोले कौव्वा काटे काले कौव्वे से डरियो…
A few more jigar songs..
“Tune haye mere dard-e-jigar ko chhoo liya” (Nagina)
“Dil jaan-e-jigar tujh pe nisaar kiya hai” (Saajan chale sasural)
“Nazar ke saamne jigar ke paas” (Aashiqi)
Tune haye mere zakhm-e-jigar ko chhoo liya (not dard-e-jigar) is the first song in my list. Other songs you have mentioned are also very good, but way beyond Songs of Yore.
Mera Naram Karajwa Dol Gaya Lata ARZOO 1950
Jignesh
Mera naram karejwa dol gaya I am hearing for the first time. An outstanding song. Thanks. A post on Karejwa or Kaleja seems a good idea, provided I get sufficient number of songs.
thanx akji….we can find many songs on ‘karejwa’..but the big source of ‘karejwa’ songs is bhojpuri films !
akji..plz delete last and the third from last comments….its very embarrassing i cant edit or remove comment once it gone..
I hope it is all right now.